Cadillac targets expanding factory WEC effort to two cars in 2024

A WEC campaign in 2024 of an expanded two Ganassi-run Cadillac Racing entries is the “correct engineering way to do it”, according to Mark Stielow, director of motorsport competition engineering at parent company General Motors.

Stielow outlined an ambition for GM to try to win what he called the “golden crown”; NASCAR's Daytona 500 and the premier global enduros, the Le Mans and Daytona 24 Hours.

“From a personal point of view I would like to do that,” he told Autosport.

In terms of winning Le Mans, he said that “the proper way to do that is with a two-car WEC programme”.

“Getting my leadership to agree to that is the next step, I’m hoping that we get the nod,” continued Stielow.

GM sportscar programme manager Laura Wontrop Klauser expanded on Stielow’s comments.

“Two is always better than one and in terms of what we have on the table and what is set, we are still working through all that,” she said.

Klauser pointed out that any decision on increasing Cadillac’s full-time presence in the WEC would be dependent on putting the correct budget and resources in place.

“If we can figure a way to do that, we would be thrilled to expand the programme,” she explained. “It has all got to be worked out.”

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R - Hybrid: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Richard Westbrook

Photo by: Paul Foster

Cadillac’s one-car programme in the WEC this year was boosted by the addition of a second Ganassi-run at last month’s Spa round.

The second entry in Belgium run by Ganassi’s IMSA SportsCar Championship crew was a precursor to Le Mans next month when Cadillac’s presence will increase to three V-Series.Rs.

The two Cadillac Racing entries will be joined by a car from the Action Express Racing squad, which is also competing in IMSA this year.

The European arm of the Cadillac Racing squad, which has now moved into a base in Stuttgart, undertook its first private test with the V-Series.R earlier this week.

It completed an endurance test on Monday and Tuesday with WEC drivers Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook, as well as Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon who will drive Ganassi’s second entry at Le Mans on 10-11 June.

Sebastien Bourdais, their team-mate in the #3 entry, was concurrently working on what was described as a “complementary simulator programme” at Cadillac chassis partner Dallara’s US headquarters in Indianapolis.

Bamber described the team as “well prepared for Le Mans” in the wake of the test for which no total mileage figure was released by Cadillac.

“These couple of days have been crucial in our preparation for Le Mans,” said Bamber. “I feel we’ve made some good steps forward.

“It’s been our first proper test as a European WEC team, and it was great to come back to a track that we’ve already raced at, and know the areas that we could focus on and work on.”